DB Tyrann Mathieu Will Focus On Rehab, Won’t Play This Fall

FOX 8 reports that former LSU DB Tyrann Mathieu has reportedly entered a drug rehabilitation program in Houston since Monday, and will remain there for the time being, in an effort to get his issues worked out instead of playing football this fall.

Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports reported that Mathieu’s issue is with marijuana, but that there is a fear that it could lead to abuse of other drugs. Feldman also reports that Mathieu hopes to return to LSU for the 2013 season.

Former NBA star John Lucas is now mentoring Tyrann daily. Lucas was a successful NBA standout for 14 years before a cocaine, and alcohol addiction threatened to destroy him. Lucas successfully completed rehab and went on to have a signature second career as an NBA coach.

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ESPN‘s Joe Schad reports that Tyrann Mathieu was hoping to return to LSU next year after sitting out the 2012 season, but Jim Kleinpeter of The Times Picayune reports that his sources can’t see that happening.

Kleinpeter adds that McNeese State is currently Mathieu’s only option.

Mathieu is reportedly “heartbroken” and “grieving” following his dismissal and while he seems to be willing to address his issues, it’s more likely that he’ll be playing elsewhere this season. If, by chance, Mathieu is allowed to rejoin LSU in 2013, he’d have to cover his own expenses for attending LSU now that his scholarship has been voided.

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ESPN.com reports that sources have confirmed that Tyrann Mathieu is considering a possible transfer to McNeese State.

This idea first popped up yesterday, as LSU kicker Josh Jasper tweeted that Mathieu had already transferred to the school. We held off on posting that until a creditable source verified it.

Mathieu wound up visiting with McNeese State last night and is believed to also be considering Jackson State and Prairie View A&M.

It’s worth noting that Mathieu would have to sit out an entire season if he were to transfer to another major program, but by playing for an FCS school, he’d be eligible to play this season, which will probably give him the best shot at being drafted.

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Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports mentions that if Tyrann Mathieu “became ineligible because of a third failed drug test, he will not be able to play this year at another NCAA school.”

If this is this case, it could derail what was a promising career for Mathieu and make it much harder to find work in the NFL. From everything we’re hearing, it’s safe to suggest that he’s no longer a top-prospect that’s worthy of an early draft pick.

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LSU head coach Les Miles announced on Friday that DB Tyrann Mathieu is ‘no longer on out team.”

Miles added that “we’ll miss him, but we have to go on.” He also said that the decision is “permanent… he will not be back,” per Time Fletcher.

There are rumors that Mathieu failed drug test and is reportedly looking for a new team. Depending on what he did to get kicked off of the LSU squad, Mathieu could find himself in a similar situation to that of Janoris Jenkins last year, where he wound up playing for a small school.

Mathieu is a bit of an enigma at this point in terms of his draft value. There’s no question that he’s capable of impacting games in several ways, but his coverage skills weren’t exactly exceptional. This could force him back into the middle-rounds of next year’s draft. We had him going to the Lions in our most recent 2013 NFL Mock Draft.